Firearm



C. C. LOOMIS Nov. 8, 1932.

FIREARM Filed July 6, 1929 INVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES CRAWFORD C. -LOOMIS, 0F ILION, NEWYORK', ASSIG'NOR TO REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY,

INC., A CORPORATION OF DEYLVART FIREARIVI Application iled July 6, 1929.Serial No. 376,321.

' The present invention relates to air guns of the magazine type andmore particularly pertains to improvements in the magazines of suchguns.x In certain popular types of magazine air guns it is common toprovide the magazine tube with a coil spring to urge a follower againsta column of pellets for feeding themone at a timerinto the barrel, a`loading port being provided in the side of the magazine tube forthe'int'roduction of pelletsinto the magazine. A difficulty sometimesencounteredarises from a tendency of the coil spring to buckle and bulgethrough the' loading port when the follower is moved to compresszthespring. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magazineof simplified construction in which this diiiicultyisentirelyeliminated.

Another diliiculty common in former constructions lies in damage to themagazine tube resulting from rough handling. If the magazine follower bemanually moved'in an empty magazine against the pressure of the springand then released, as is sometimes done by Vcareless users,.damage isvery likely to resultto the tube, which is usually of light sheet metalconstruction, when the movement is. abruptly arrestedby engagement ofits finger piecewitha portion of the tube. The present invention aims toprovide a construction not susceptible to damage Afrom such handling. Ay

`A further object of the invention lies in theprovision of an improvedfollower which may be easily inserted in and removed from the magazine.,

.'Arfurther object ofthe present invention resides in the provision of amagazine and barrel unit with improved means for detachably securing themagazine to the unit.

These and further objects will be apparent from the followingdescription, referencebeing had tothe drawing which forms apart of thisspecification. l

. In the drawingz.l y

Figure l is a-fragmentary view in side elevation, partly in section, ofthe forward portion of the false barrel structure of Aan air gun showingthemanner ofmounting the improved barrel andvinagazine unit of the ipresent invention.

lfigure 2 is a longitudinalsection in elevation of the iinprovedbarreland magazine unit showing in detail the parts of the maga.- zine innormal positions. Y

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the magazineready for-assembly into the magazine and barrel unit.

Figure t is a fragmentary sideview, part ly in section, of the rear endof *the barrel and magazine unit with the last pellet in position fordischarge from the barrel.

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section of a portion of the magazinetube showing the manner of detaching and removing the improved followerof the present invention.

In Figure 6 are shown enlarged detail views of the follower links.

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken at 7-7 of Figure looking to therear and showing the rear end piece of the barrel and magazine unit, themagazine being4 removed.

.In my co-pending application, Serial No. 310,306, filed October t,1928, l have disclosed a combined barrel and magazine unit,

which `unit may be readily inserted in and removed from the false barrelstructure of an air gun and in which unit the magazine is in the form ofa tube secured tothe unit but detachable therefrom for purposes ofcleaning and repair.

According to the present invention, I provide a somewhat similarmagazine and barrel unit likewise insertable in and removable from thefalse barrel of an air gun, but in which the magazine is detachablysecured to the unit by means of novel and improved devices. Y

Referring to the drawing, the magazine and barrel unit designatedgenerally by the numerallO comprises a true or shooting barrel 11secured at its rear end to an end piece or plugl2 which is formed with ascrew threaded portion 13. The barrel 11 may be secured to the endyplug'12 by any suitable means, but preferably is secured by such meansas is disclosed in my 'Co-pending. application, Serial No. 310,306,before mentioned. At its forward end the barrel 11 is apertured abutment17' into which the' threaded portion 13 of the plug 12 may be screwedfor securing the unit 10 in place-in the gun. The abutment 17 may besecuredl to the false barrel 16, butl preferably is secured to areinforcing tube 18 which is positioned within the false barrel withoutbeing attached thereto, (see Figure 1). A depending lug 19-formedintegral with the reinforcing tube 18 and projecting downwardly throughthe false barrel serves as an attaching meansto connect with a forearmhousing or other auxiliary structure positioned beneath the barrel. Sucha construction relieves the barrel and magazine of stresses when the gunis discharged, the force of impact of the piston against abutment 17being absorbed by the tube 18, lug 19 and auxiliary structure to whichthe lug is attached. For a more complete disclosure of an air gunembodying this construction reference may be had to my co-pendingapplications, Serial No. 224,888, filed October 8, 1927, and Serial No.310,306, filed October 4, 1928. Although tie shown embodiment of myinventiony is appliedto an air gun of this type, it is obvious that manyof the novel devices are applicable generally to magazine air guns.

rl`he present invention contemplates an improved means for detacliablylsecuring the magazine to the barrel and' magazine unit. lfnlfigure 3 theVmagazine is shown detached and ready for mounting in the unit. Figures1 and 2 show the magazine-in place in the unit. The magazine 15 embodiesa loading port 2O near its rear end and is provided withl a longv narrowslot 21 for accommodating and guiding the finger piece 39'of -a'magazinefollower, which will hereinafter be described. The slot 21 terminates atits forward end in a bayonet slot 22 for retaining finger piece 39 andthe follower in this positionin the magazine to permit-loading ofthemagazine with pellets.

,fit its forward end the magazine tube 15 carries a rscrew plug 23threaded-ly mounted on the end of the tube and provided with acylindrical head or pilot 24 of reducedI diameter therebyV forming theshoulder 25, the function of which will presently be eX- plained. Theend cap 14 is provided with a rearwardly projecting flange 26 forming aspace 27 into whichv the forward end of the magazine tube is received atthe upper side of the barrel 11. `An aperture 24' in the end cap 14receives the head 24 of the screw plug dated within the aperture 24 ofthe cap. The

rear end of the tube is then seated in the cut away portion30 andthetongue 28 positioned in the cut 29 of thee-nd plug, thereby setting themagazine tube loosely inplace. With the aid of a screwdriverv-orfothertool the head 24 of the screw plug"23may 'be reached from thefront of cap 14 and rotatedtoY lback` :the plug 23 partially out ofthetubeiandzbring the shoulder 25 to bear'ftightly against the end cap;By'this operationtherear'end' of the tube will belirmly-pressedintoitspseat 30 in the rear end plug and thusthe magazine willbe rig-idly but detachably secured in its place-in the unit. Detachmentof the `magazine may be effected :by simplyv reversingthis procedure.

Theinvention further contemplates an improved follower construction forresiliently urging pellets from the magazine.' into the barrel, alongwith an arrangement for obviating the possibility of buckling ofthemagazine spring through the loading port yand also of an arrangementforpreventingf'accidental removal of the' pellets through the loadingport'. g

These objects are accomplishedv by the arrangement best illustratedinFigure 2. This figure shows-a section of the magazine tube with'acolumn .of shot therein in normal'position, the leading lone of saidshot beingy 1ocated in the recess 40 in the rear end plug 12limmediately above the shot in firing position in the barrel. It' willbe'seen that Athe vdiameter -of theloading. port 2O'is`v slightlygreater than the diameter of a shot, to permit'easy loading, and that,-as clearlyshownin this figure, when thej shot column is pressedrearwardly by the magazine springvtfhe center of the loading port 20 issubstantially..opposite the point of contact of two .adjacent sh5tsothat if either shotis displaced outwardly it will be engaged by the tubewall adj acentto the load-ing port, instead of passing,outwardlytherethrough. By thus locating and pro-A portioning the loading. portwith respect to the shot column, accidental egress `of shot therethroughis effectively prevented; Moreover, when the magazine'tube is inplaca-,as illustrated in Figure l, the loading port 2O is covered by thesleeve member 18, thus positively preventing outward displacement Iofthe shot.

rlhe magazine spri-ng and springfollower' rui leev

a tapered cylinder in shape, and formedat its l forward end with 'asubstantially spherical head 33. At its forward end `this link` isrecessed .at 3a and provided with aV transverse pin for receiving a hookportionll"A of the 'rear-"follower link 35." The rear link 36 is seen tohave also a rearwardly extending spring engaging portion 38 and alat-erally projecting nger piece 39. rlhe link 36 being flat and thin,preferably a sheet metal stamping, is adapted to be inserted bodilythrough the slot 2l. ylhe finger piece 39 is adapted to extend laterallythrough the slot 2l in the magazine and is guided thereby in its foreand aft movement. The spherical head 33 of link 32 bears against theforemost pellet in the magazine and urges the column rearwardly, asindicated in Figure 2. At its rear end the barrel ll is provided with anopening 40 to permit passage of pellets from the magazine to the barrel,and the rear end plug 12 is cut away at 3l to form a curved channel forguiding the passage of pellets through this opening.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the hook and pin connect-ionof the follower links affords an articulated follower construction,whereby when the last pellet has left the magazine the spherical head 33of the follower link 32 is permitted to enter partially into the channel3l and retain Contact with the last pellet to positively urge the sameinto r of channel 3l limits the rearward movement of the follower beforefinger piece 39 can reach the rear end Lll of slot 2l of the magazinetube. Thus, if the follower be allowed to snap to the rear in an emptymagazine, the link 32 by its engagement with the wall of channel 3l inplug l2 will take up the shock of impact and relieve the magazine tubeof injurious stresses from such impact.

As before stated, the invention contemplates making the follower readilydetachable fromthe magazine tube. This is effected by the novelconstruction of the follower links 32 and 36. above described. lt willbe seen that the finger piece 39 by its engagement with the ends of slot2l prevents removal of the follower from either end of the magazinetube. However, removal may be effected, as shown in Figure 5, bydisengaging the rear end of spring Ll2 from the portion 38 of link 1 36with the aid of any thin tool such as a knife itself therefrom. rlheforward link 32 isV now free to be removed through an end openingo-f themagazine tube. Assembly may be effected by a simple reversal of theabove procedure.

JHaving fully described my invention, what l claim is:

l. ln an air gun,` a barrel, a magazine tube adapted to contain a columnof shot pellets, a spring and spring follower in said tube urging saidshot pellets rearwardly, an opening in said tube for the transfer ofpellets to said barrel, and a loading port located in the .wall ofsaidtube opposite the column of shot pellets but out of alignment withany one of Vsuch pellets. 1

2. In an air gun,a magazine tube having its wall apertured to provide aloading port'for the reception of pellets, a. follower in said tubeadapted to resiliently urge a column of pellets past said loading port,said port being slightly greater in diameter than a pellet and being solocated in said tube wall that its center normally lies opposite theContact point of two adjacent pellets. r

3. In an air gun, la` barrel assembly unit comprising a shooting barreland end pieces secured thereto-,a magazine tube adapted to lie parallelto said barrel andabut one yof said end pieces, a plug threadedlyengaging the forward end of said tube and movable to abut the other endpiece, thereby compressing said tube between said end pieces. l

' 4. In anair gun, a barrel assemblyunit comprising a shooting barrel'and end pieces secured thereto, a magazine tube adapted to lie parallelto said barrel with one end seated inthe Vrear end piece, and a plugthreadedly engaging the forward end of said tube and movable therein toabut the forward end piece.

` 5. In an air gun, a barrel assembly unit comprising a shooting barreland end pieces securedthereto, .a magazine tube adapted t0 lie parallelto said barrel and abut the rear end piece, a plug threadedly engagingthe forward end of said tube and movable therein to abut the forward endpiece, means carried by said plug and extending through an aperture insaid forwardend piece for manipulating said-plug.

- 6. ln an air gun, a barrel assembly unit comprising a shooting barreland end pieces secured thereto, a magazine tube adapted to lie parallelto said barrel and abut the rear end piece, a plugthreadedly mounted inthe forward end of said tube and having a shoul- 'der portionadapted toabut theV forward en d piece, a pilot carried by said plug, the

forward end piece being apertured to receive said pilot. Y

7. In an air gun, a barrel assembly unit comprising a shooting barreland end pieces secured thereto, a magazine tube adapted to lie parallelto said barrel and abut the rear end piece, a plug threadedly mounted inthe forward end of said tube and having a shoulder portion formed by aforwardly extend# ing cylindrical portion of reduced diameter, theforward end piece being apertured to accommodate said cylindricalportion and permit the shoulder portion to abut the-end piece.

8. In anair gun, a magazine tube, a spring followertherein comprising alink having a hook portion, and another link detachably engaged by saidhook portion.

9. In an air gun, a magazine tube, a coil spring therein, a followercomprising a pellet-'contacting link provided atv one'end with atransverse pin and al spring-engaging link having a hook portionengaging said pin.

l0. In an air gun, a magazine tube formed with a narrow longitudinalslot, a spring follower comprising a thin flat link bodily insertablethrough said slot.

11. In an air gun, a magazine tube formed with a narrow longitudinalslot, a spring follower comprising a plurality of detachably connectedlinks, one of said links being bodily removable through said slot.

12. In-an air gun, a magazine tube formed with a narrow longitudinalslot, a spring follower comprising a pellet-contacting link and aspring-engaging link havinga hook portion engaging saidpellet-contacting link, said spring-engaging link being bodily removablethrough said slot.

13. Inan air gun, a magazine tube formed with a narrow longitudinalslot, a spring follower comprising a spring-engaging link having a hookportion and a laterally extending finger piece, said link being bodilyremovable through said slot, and a pellet-contacting link recessed atone end and provided with a transverse pin receiving said hook portion.

14. In an air gun, a magazine tube formed with a narrow longitudinalslot, a spring follower comprising a pellet-contacting link formed witha recess and having a transverse pin at one end thereof, a thin flatspring-engaging linkV having a laterally extending finger piece and ahook portion engageable with said pin and adapted to be swung bodilythrough said slot about said pin for disengagement therefrom.

said follower being so shaped as to be stopped' positively urge the sameinto the barre1,and

beingsoshapedas .to be stopped by Contact with said end piece beforesaid fingerpiece reaches` the end of its-slot. l

CRAWFORD C. LOOMIS.

